


We Love You Just The Way You Are (Linked Universe)

by Enderkitten123



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, LinkedUniverse - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: (Twi is only mentioned), Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Linked Universe, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Nightmares, Wind-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:01:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23544298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enderkitten123/pseuds/Enderkitten123
Summary: Wind has a horrible nightmare and Time is there to comfort him, but the nightmare isn't the only thing that's bothering him.
Relationships: Time & Wind (Linked Universe)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 200





	We Love You Just The Way You Are (Linked Universe)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very old live write I did on the LU server and I have been editing this a long time and now I think it's finally finished!

The night was fairly quiet with the exception of a few crickets and the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. Time was currently on watch, keeping an eye, and ear out for anything out of the ordinary. Everyone else was asleep, with the exception of Wind. The young sailor was having a hard time falling and staying asleep that night. Once he had fallen asleep, normally, he would have no problem staying asleep. But tonight he tossed and turned and whenever he woke back up it was always with a start. 

The first time Wind woke up he got up to check on him. But he said it was nothing and that he didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t want to pry, but he let him know that he was here if he needed anything.

This was now the third time he had woken up in the past hour and a half. He was just about to get up to go check on him again when he saw that Wind was already getting up and making his way over to where he was sitting.

He patted the spot next to him, gesturing for the young hero to come sit with him. Wind sat down next to him and scooted closer so that he could rest his head on his shoulder. He was bundled up in his blankets and Time immediately noticed the tears rolling down his cheeks. He also looked so exhausted. He wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close into a hug. Wind untangled his arms out from his blanket cocoon and hugged him back tightly. Time gave him a gentle squeeze.

"C-can I t-talk-k to you?"

"Of course. What's wrong honey?"

“I-I h-had-d a nightmar-re and-d - and-d I-I-I-”

He saw just how uneven his breathing was. His breathing hitched and he stumbled over his words. He looked as if he was on the verge of breaking down.

“I-I just-”

Wind’s breathing became more and more erratic while more tears started to form in his eyes. His chest felt heavy and it was getting harder to breathe. He held onto Time, almost as if he was a lifeline, and buried his head into Time's chest and started crying harder and hyperventilating. Time pulled him closer and began to rub tiny circles into his back. 

"Shhh shhhh shhhhh. It's ok. You're ok. Just breathe. It's ok. I’ve got you."

He couldn't breathe, he just couldn't. It felt like a huge rock was sitting on his chest. He was trying but he just couldn't.

"It's ok. I'm here. I'm here. Watch me, in and out, in and out. Just breathe."

He sucked in a shaky breath and held it in for a moment and let it out. In and out, in and out. Slowly, his breathing became a bit more even as he tried to time it with Time's breathing.

"There you go, just like that. In and out."

  
Wind rarely had nightmares, well at least compared to the rest of them. He still had more than what would ever be considered normal for a child. He could only imagine how horrible that dream must have been if it was giving him a panic attack. Even with how often Wild had nightmares, none of them had ever brought him to this point.

They continued to sit there. He held him tight while Wind listened to his breathing and tried to copy it the best he could. He closed his eyes and focused on Time’s heartbeat.

After a while he pulled away slightly. He took one last deep breath to try and compose himself. He wanted to tell him what was wrong, what happened in his dream, he really did. Talking about them was supposed to make you feel better, right? But the second he tried to talk again the words got stuck in his throat. He could feel himself starting to tear up again. Why was this so hard?

He tried Time's breathing trick again, it helped a little but talking was just too hard. Every time he tried he felt like he was going to cry again. It was almost like he was mute again, but worse.

Time wiped a stray tear and held his cheek in his hand. He leaned into the touch and closed his eyes. He worked on taking deep breaths but it was hard. But then Time had an idea.

"Wind, do you know sign?"

"Y-yes, b-but I'm a l-little ru-rusty." His voice came out even more quiet, studdery, and uneven than before. He tried to hold back tears.

"Would it be easier for you if you signed?"

He gently nodded and pulled away from him a little bit more so that he could sign easier.

_"I had a nightmare, I just tried going back to sleep but every time I did I had the same dream over and over again"_

_"I dreamt that you...."_

_“That you-”_

“It’s ok, just breathe.Take your time. Breathe.”

He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. Even when he was signing it was still difficult to not start crying again.

_"I dreamt that you died... and I was 12 again. And everyone was telling me how much of a failure I was. That I could never live up to you. That I was supposed to be like you. That I was supposed to be you. And that it was all my fault because I couldn't be you."_

Tears started to roll down his cheeks again.

_".... And I remember when the Great Deku Tree thought I was you. And when Ganondorf said that I ‘must be the Hero of Time reincarnated.’ I can’t help but think, were they hoping that I was you? Did they want me to be you?”_

_“ And I remember that when I was little, everyone told stories about you. How the legendary Hero of Time saved the ancient land of Hyrule from the evil Ganon. I wanted to be just like you…. I wanted to be a hero too, I wanted to be you. But I never thought that being one would hurt so bad...”_

The tears came back in full force.

Time didn't know what to say. So he just pulled him into a tight hug and let him cry into his chest. He wished that Wind, and all of the others for that matter, didn't have to go through anything like this. He wished so badly that he could have just been a normal kid. That he could have just had a normal childhood without so much pain and suffering. 

When he had first met Wind, he was angry for him. He hated the fact that someone so young had to go through what he went through. He hated the fact that he had caused him and the others so much pain, even if it was indirectly. And he hates that Wind feels like he needs to “live up to him”. 

He gently rocked him back and forth and ran his fingers through his hair. Wind let himself sob freely. His heart hurt for him. And then he said something that completely broke his heart. 

"W-why d-does everyone w-want me to be y-you? Why-y can’t-n't I j-just be me? A-am I-I just not good e-enough?" 

He hugged him tighter.

"Don't let anyone **ever** make you think you're not good enough. I love you for who you are. And we love you just the way you are."

Wind buried his head further into Time's chest. He cried until he couldn’t cry anymore. 

"Th-thank you, dad."

"...You're welcome."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

Wind had fallen asleep in his arms by the time his watch was over. He had considered tucking him back in his bedroll but instead decided to let Wind sleep with him for tonight. 

The only problem was that he had to wake up Twilight for his watch while simultaneously holding Wind and somehow not waking him back up. There was no way he would be able to crouch down to wake Twilight while holding him; Time wouldn't be able to stand up again while trying to hold a 100 something pound 13 year old in his arms. So he decided to very carefully and gently wake him by nudging him with his foot.

A very confused Twilight woke up seconds later. 

* * *

When morning came everyone was greeted to the very adorable sight of Time and Wind cuddling. Wild took a picture with his slate, as well as with Wind and Time's pictoboxes, just in case they wanted a picture too.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you everyone for the support while writing this. <3 ILY!


End file.
